Ella Minnow Pea (15 page)

I hartlee got to no Little Pawla. We might haph mate goot phrents.

I pheel as Georgeanne most haph when epheree-one lepht the willage. Alone. Phorsaagen.

Are ewe leaphing too, Mr. Little? Will Mr. Little soon wipe his hants oph all this tragi-mess? Tern on his heel—tisappear?

Ella

OPHIS OPH R. LITTLE NOLLOPTON

Montae, Nophemger 13

Ella,

Ewe mae repher to me as “Little.” I am repherring to miselph that wae now.

To answer the interrogatoree, I haph no plans to leaph this isle. Espeshellee sinse I haph goot reason to remain.

Ewe see, I am worging on Enterprise 32 mie-selph.

As, I hope, are ewe.

In these three son-to-sons that remain—this “last lap” as it were—I thot ewe might appresiate the help.

Sinserelee
,

R. Little

NOLLOPTON, NOLLOP

Montae, Nophemger 13

To the Towgate Phamilee:

Please asept mie hartphelt simpathee at this time. Georgeanne passt awae last night phrom let poisoning. She paintet her whole selph phrom het to toe with manee prettee, ornamental hews. She was so resplentent, almost ratiant in repose—the happee, appealing pigments an aesthetit reminter oph her lophlee warm spirit.

She shoot loog smashing 4 the phooneral.

Her remains shoot arriph shortlee.

With all regrets
,

Ella Minnow Pea

NOLLOPTON

Tewstae, Nophemger 14

Ella,

Pharewell. Pharewell. Tho we were not phrents 4 long, I will so miss ewe. Ewe are strong. It is goot that ewe are lepht. We wish ewe well with Enterprise 32. We wish ewe well with ephereething ewe trie to asheeph in these trieing phinal taes. To asheeph 4 Nollop. 4 all we espatriot Nollopians. The Nollopian tiaspora!

Aphetionatelee
,

Tanea ant phamilee

PS. “H” has phallen. (Hee hee, ho ho. How totallee irrelephant to mie lieph now!)

^T
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NOLLOPTON, NOLLOP

Wetstae, Nogemger 15

To: Mr. Warren

NOLLOPIANA

GEORGIA

AMERIGA

Mr. Warren,

Please get wort to mie Momma, to mie Pop ant to Mittie ant Tassie tat I am well. I am a persister, an ootlaster. No more trepitation 4 me. Onlee tetermination!

Tetermination to ent tee tast I startet. Tee otts are not goot. Tee reason:
I
am not goot. Manneim was saperior to me. Ant Assistant Tom. Now Manneim is tet, ant Tom is—I no not ware. All
I
am is present. Positioning, stringing letters togeter. 26 into 32. Ontill tee time rons owt. Ontill it all stops.

Ontill … silense.

Ontill … Nollop is no more.

No more.

Alto I no tat Nollop isn’t trewlee going awae. Tee reason:
I
am not going awae. I will learn to tawg in noomerals. I will learn sign langwage—anee-ting to stae in Nollop. I, Mr. Little, ant tee sparse-peoples still strolling Nollop’s santee, saltee-air seasite, gaseing at sonrises too glorios to plase into worts—we will possess tease tings alwaes! Nollop troo also in ower memories—teep, teep witin ower soles.

I miss ewe all teeplee. I am sorree to atmit, Momma, tat I am presentlee a snoop! I reat letters—teer, sweet letters ewe wrote to Pop—warm, engaging letters Pop wrote to ewe. Some olt, some new, all ewe gesst no one woot see—ewe pot tem awae so well! I reat tem, ewe see, to gain neetet inspiration.

Teese letters are also mie solass. Mie emollient!

Ant I Tang ewe 4 tem.

Insitentallee, ewe are propaplee reating mie last letter to ewe. It is now simplee too tiring to write. To sae watt I most sae in lang-wage one mae onterstant.

I am so sorree.

Alwaes
,

Ella

Wetstae, Nopemper 15

Nollopians:

G go tonite at mitnite. No more “G.” So long “G.”

Penta-priests

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Letter to me:

Onlee 24 owers remain.

Storm.

Tiles plop. 8 tiles plomp plomp all in one nite.

Tee ent is near.

So lon A!

So lon E! (Nise to no ewe.)

So lon I!

So lon R! (Are ewe lonesome tonite?)

So lon S!

So lon T!

So lon W!

So lon O twin. (Remnant-twin is all alone now.)

Now onlee 5 remain at 12 o’time. Onlee 5. Onlee 5 remain.

Wear is tat paint?

Sinserelee
,

Ella

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“LMNOP”:

No mo Nollop pomp!

No mo Nollop poo poo!

No mo 4 pop/1 moll Nollop looloo poop!

No no no mo plop, plop, plop, plomp!

No mo Nollop!

No, mon, no! O Noooooooo!

OOOOOOOO​OOO​OOOOO​OOO​OOO​OOO​OOO​OOOO​OOOOO​OOO​OO​OOO​OOO​OOO​OOO​OOO​OO​OO​!

—
“LMNOP”

… Put them in one of the little crates; they’ll be easier to convey that way.

Would you mind doing this one last thing for me?

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs?

Thank you.

Be well. Be …